Syria in 2016 (January-March)

[OUTLAW 09]

Acc. to @snhr, 512 combat violations since 27 Jan:

- 468 by regime
- 32 by #Russia
- 8 by opposition
- 4 by #YPG

The @snhr also claims 136 combat violations in #Syria just during #Geneva talks:

- 132 by regime
- 4 by opposition

[OUTLAW 09]

Iran’s Plan to Seize Damascus Continues With Support From Assad Regime
http://syrianobserver.com/EN/News/30..._Assad_Regime/ …

Might actually be true if you think that Beirut and Baghdad are virtually controlled by Iran ........that would make Iran the controller of THREE Arab nation state capitals.....

Reports of a renewed MLRS attack by Assad militias in Nubl & Zahra targeting Hayan & its surroundings in north rural #Aleppo

Reports Assad airstrikes targeted the town of Abu Dhuhur & Ma’arat al-Nouman in #Idlib today, no reports of casualties

BREAKING
First pictures coming in from #Hayyan.
The #Assad air force hits multiple towns.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aj_hNM1XdA …

Another two air strikes hit #Binnish in the same province.

Assad air strike hits school in rebel-held #JistAlShughur.

Syrian regime forces try to overrun #Jobar district of #Damascus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhkfjtbng8s …

7 civilians killed in #Assad air strike on #Ariha.
Regime forces breach the ceasefire all across the country after #Palmyra.

Also dozens of #Assad and #Russian air strikes on #ISIS-held towns in eastern #Homs and #Hama provinces.

Assad regime artillery and helicopter bomb attacks resume on #Hayyan, N-W of #Aleppo.

Remember when Assad in his French interview "claimed he was going to recapture the entire country AND Russia said nothing and the US believed Putin had reined in Assad".....??????

West played again by Putin.......and Assad and actually Assad has been telling Obama exactly what he is doing to do and the Obama WH response...nothing but talk....and a lot of "hope"......

Tend to agree with this comment from Charles Lister..
Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
Hearing worrying reports that opposition forces in northern #Syria may be preparing to resume hostilities, after deciding #Geneva will fail.

After the extremely high number of CoH violations largely by Assad why would they believe anything else??????

[OUTLAW 09]

Not so sure this article is actually correct...outside of Palmyra all current ongoing attacks are against FSA positions and yes even YPG/SDF is attacking FSA together with IS.....US MSM needs to get better at their reporting.....

Russia and the regime have, at long last, turned their attention to ISIS":
http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs...GkyuhQ.twitter …

[OUTLAW 09]

Will go back to the statement that yes indeed the CIA and CENTCOM backed Kurdish YPG with SDF are in fact fighting the FSA the "other" US proxy......

Azaz: #YPG is preparing a huge offensive to capture the town of #Azaz from the #Syria|n rebels. #Aleppo

YPG is trying to link the entire northern provinces into Afrin to created the northern Kurdish federated area they have called for....regardless of whether there are Arab Sunni majorities in most of those locations which they then ethnically cleanse when they capture Arab towns.....

BreakingFootage
Syrian rebel (Sultan Murad) TOW destroys #SDF/#YPG tank during offensive on #Azaz.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIqwwK9Og3A …

Reports #YPG/#SDF preparing to attack Rebel-held city of #Azaz, near Turkey, while Rebels fight daily #ISIS few km eastwards. N. #Aleppo

The true linkage between Assad, IS and YPG is extremely clear now in Syria....
ISIS, #Assad and #YPG resumed their simultaneous offensives towards rebel-held areas north of #Aleppo.

Interesting how YPG attack Azaz the same day the regime renews offensive in the north, almost like they knew beforehand

Syria #FSA blow up also #YPG- 120mm cannon with TOW during kurdish assault on #Azaz town in northern #Aleppo

[OUTLAW 09]

Previously reported near Palmyra and now leaving again......
Russian TOS-1A leaving Palmyra.

Syria 50 more families (fled from #Palmyra) arrived in #FSA area in northern #Aleppo

The battle for Palmyra, by Eyad Alhosain (@AboZain6) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lcwnmyjogws …

N. Syria & US incoherence:
-#YPG (US Allies vs #IS) fight #TOW supplied Rebels
-Iraqi militias w/ US Humvees (given 2 stop #IS) fight Rebels

[OUTLAW 09]

Interesting analysis of who is fighting whom........

Azaz example for "4 actors in a certain area"
Result:
Rebels attacked by #PKK, #ISIS & #Assad
https://twitter.com/Interbrigades/st...28435053006848 …

‏@Interbrigades
Small Guide to Who is likely to Fight Whom in Syrias Civil War
https://twitter.com/Interbrigades/st...28435053006848

The FSA has been literally fighting a true multi front war with no rest against a well rested IS and the Shia mercenaries constantly flowing in from Iran and Iraq....

[OUTLAW 09]

"Those who now possess #Palmyra are those who lost it & made E. #Syria safe for #ISIS in the first place”
-Fred Hof

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs...GkyuhQ.twitter …

[OUTLAW 09]

BreakingFootage
Syrian rebel (Sultan Murad) TOW destroys #SDF/#YPG tank during offensive on #Azaz.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIqwwK9Og3A …

Reports #YPG/#SDF preparing to attack Rebel-held city of #Azaz, near Turkey, while Rebels fight daily #ISIS few km eastwards. N. #Aleppo

This #TOW strike is highly symbolic:
- First #YPG tank taken out with TOW
- Last TOW strike vs YPG recorded was 25th Feb'16

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria Mohannad AlTalaa(New Syrian Army leader)"we will not allow regime to retake AlTanef border crossing

Mohannad"we are preparing to liberate #DeirEzzor from both #ISIS and the regime soon"

Sample of SSNP "martyrdom" notices, each w/ standard phrasing about "confronting the internal Jews" (v @ajaltamimi):

Government declares victory in #Palmyra, says it's the only force able to effectively fight terrorism in #Syria:
http://sana.sy/en/?p=72985

ISIS hit a SAA tank with an ATGM near al-Qaryatayn, #Syria. pic.twitter.com/s7IRprnbgH

[OUTLAW 09]

Fantastic use of OSINT by @fontanka_news to uncover a newly formed Russian PMC that operated in Ukraine & Syria http://www.fontanka.ru/2016/03/28/171/ (RU)

[OUTLAW 09]

Reference the Russian Spetsnaz that the Russians placed an air strike on when they realized he was surrounded by IS......

Russian soldier who supposedly called in airstrike on himself was 25y/o Alexander Prokhorenko

Appears Russia is experiencing far more loses than is being made public.....
Russian CASEVAC at Hmeimim AB ; photo shows multiple seriously wounded being casvaced out of Syria....

Audio recording of Russians correcting their artillery fire (by @IvanSidorenko1)
Probably during the Palmyra operation.
Recording:
http://vocaroo.com/i/s0z7ewdCJhhv

Palmyra #Palmira #Tadmur #Tadmor Speech by Desert Falcons Leader & Some Drone Footage SyrianArmy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEHZ...ature=youtu.be …

Reference the fighting today and yesterday at Jobar......
Soldiers of the 105th Brigade of Republican Guard in Jobar today

[OUTLAW 09]

Russian Syrian Express on the move again......

FLOT's ROpucha Class large landing ship 127 Minsk crossed the Bosphorus southbound towards the Mediterranean.

This is her sixth trip in 2016......

Compared more south passes last year. Minsk is not this bow heavy normally. My guess; full with uneven distribution

Hard 2 tell. Not so empty, I guess.Opinions?
https://twitter.com/alperboler/statu...54655510433793 …
https://twitter.com/alperboler/statu...18165817393152 …
https://twitter.com/alperboler/statu...64627100852224 …

[OUTLAW 09]

"Volcano" rockets on Palmyra from the vicinity of the citadel
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=34...54910&z=15&m=b …
https://youtu.be/6kbswqvOPUw?t=34s …

YPG snipers fire at civilians in #Aleppo from #SheikhMaqsoud , 3 injured, including woman.

Faylaq al-Sham show its new US equipments in the front vs #ISIL north #Aleppo.

Aleppo: Syrian Rebels capture Al Hibt & Qadi farms from YPG

Aleppo: Syrian Rebels killed 10 so called "SDF" fighters & capture others in their failed attempt to capture Al Shat from Rebels

Aleppo: Assad regime reconnaissance aircraft shot down over Hayyan
http://bit.ly/1StQtvP

Old video - been looking for it for a while. Watch till end. Assad general makes threats but end up in ER
http://youtu.be/NRvCdKagCKw

In Syria, Dunford says, America working to grow the Arab portion of the anti-ISIS Syrian Democratic Forces, which is mostly Kurds

[OUTLAW 09]

Clashes near #Azaz are seemingly around this intersection, the "Alshat" checkpoint.
Not 100% certain.

Syrian rebels downed a #Russian Orlan-10 drone over #Hayyan that coordinated artillery fire from #Zahraa.

It appears the YPG T-72 destroyed near Azaz by a TOW ATGM today was the T-72 w/ slat armour crewed by females.

Azaz: #YPG militias in #Afrin have only 5 tanks (3 x T-72 2 x T-55) left, 1 T-72 destroyed, maybe with female crew

[OUTLAW 09]

Fantastic use of OSINT by @fontanka_news to uncover a newly formed Russian PMC that operated in Ukraine & Syria http://www.fontanka.ru/2016/03/28/171/ (RU)

Officers of a shadow private military group "CHVK Vagnera" fight for #Russia on battlefields abroad #Syria, #Ukraine http://www.fontanka.ru/2016/03/28/171

Fontanka Investigates Russian Mercenaries Dying For Putin In Syria And Ukraine
http://www.interpretermag.com/fontan...a-and-ukraine/ …

[OUTLAW 09]

They are 1) either Russians 2) assimilated Russians 3) LifeNews showing regular Russian Army spotter notes. #Syria https://twitter.com/loogunda/status/714226012188442625 …

Pro-Assad war criminal Mihrac Ural-Ali Kayali-of Popular Front for Liberation of Liwa of Iskandarun, has been killed

Lot of reports that Turkish Alewite militia leader Mihraç Ural (Ali Kayali) was killed in #Syria:

Reports leader of pro-Assad militia "Syrian Resistance" famous for Baniyas massacres Me'raj Ural killed today

Ural is blamed for the #Baniyas massacre & #Reyhanli bombing (May '13). Former associate of #PKK leader Ocalan:

Ahrar al-Sham’s @almuhager03 “confirms” & “claims" responsibility for killing of Mihrac Ural, during AJA interview:

Killed by the Opposition in the #Al_Tufahiya area.

Syrian rebels claim to have killed 10, arrested 5 #SDF members during their failed assault on #Azaz.
#Aleppo #Syria

[OUTLAW 09]

18 days straight:
Anti-Nusra protests continue in Marat al-Numan - demanding departure & release of prisoners:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO6EzM2TEw4 …

Faced by rising popular anger in #Idlib, Nusra has pursued 2 lines:
- Persuade opposition to resume hostilities
- Build jihadi alliance

Nusra is dependent on conflict to assuage popular concern over its ideology & long-term objectives, but it can’t break ceasefire alone.

Good to see @tcambanis spoke to 16th Division’s Hassan Rajoub…
"Around #Aleppo, Its Not Peace—Just a Break”
https://tcf.org/?p=11449

Hostilities have resumed (or significantly intensified) between #Syria’s opposition and the YPG/SDF around Azaz in northern #Aleppo.

At the same time, regime airstrikes have increased across #Idlib (Binnish, Ariha, Marat al-Numan) & north of #Aleppo (+ MRL artillery).

[OUTLAW 09]

How Russian special forces are shaping the fight in Syria
http://wpo.st/ifKQ1

[CrowBat]

CrowBat............

It is in fact the Syrian SS-26. Russia reportedly sold Assad 26 units of the Iskander-E variant
http://www.military-today.com/missiles/iskander.htm …

AFAIK, none were delivered back then due to Israeli complaints.

That said, after some re-checking, it seems that many of 'SS-21s' fired back in February were actually SS-26s.

[OUTLAW 09]

AFAIK, none were delivered back then due to Israeli complaints.

That said, after some re-checking, it seems that many of 'SS-21s' fired back in February were actually SS-26s.

CrowBat ...then two points come up...when did they come into country since the Israeli's complained and Russia "supposedly" did not deliver them...secondly there have been comments that Hezbollah has been firing them mainly...so Russia is transferring the knowledge to them...as payment for their fighting in Syria?

Then the recent Israeli comment that 90% has been fired.....makes sense coupled with the marked decrease in their firings.....